Clear the Air

The following tobacco-related bills were introduced today, Tuesday, February 24th, in the West Virginia Legislature:

HB2773 - Increasing the monetary penalties for selling tobacco products to minors.

Bills are listed here for informational purposes only and no endorsement is to be implied. Clear the Air will review bills more in depth as they begin to move. To track these bills yourself visit the West Virginia Legislative website Bill Status page.

Tags: 2009 Session, bills introduced, West Virigina Legislature, youth access

The following tobacco-related bills were introduced today, Monday, February 23rd, in the West Virginia Legislature:

HB2746 - Raising the excise tax on cigarettes and all other tobacco products.

Bills are listed here for informational purposes only and no endorsement is to be implied. Clear the Air will review bills more in depth as they begin to move. To track these bills yourself visit the West Virginia Legislative website Bill Status page.

Tags: 2009 Session, bills introduced, tobacco tax, West Virigina Legislature

On Monday, February 23rd, the tobacco tax bill which was recommended by an interim committee will be introduced in the West Virginia House of Delegates. The bill will call for a 65 cent per pack increase in the excise tax on cigarettes and a raise from 7 percent of the wholesale price to 14 percent for all other tobacco products.

The proposed legislation will be referred to the Health and Human Resources Committee and then to Finance.

The tax legislation is part of a package of bills recommended by Select Committee D after a year-long study of health care in West Virginia. Passage of the tax is essential to funding other proposed pieces of this package.

More importantly, raising the tobacco excise tax in West Virginia will reduce the number of young people who begin using tobacco products and will serve as a huge incentive for current tobacco users to quit. Research shows an overall 4 percent reduction in tobacco use with every ten percent increase in the price of the product.

Supporters of this bill should contact House members on Monday by telephone urging their support of the tobacco tax legislation (HB2746). You can identify your members and their Capitol phone number by entering your zip code here. Legislators need to hear there is a large amount of grassroots support to provide this important legislation the momentum it will need to be considered.

Please make your phone call today - even if you do not personally reach your legislators leave them a message requesting that they support the tobacco tax bill (HB2746).

Tags: 2009 Session, Action Alert, tobacco tax, West Virginia Legislature

The following tobacco-related bills were introduced today, Friday, February 20th, in the West Virginia Legislature:

SB312 - Requiring smoke-free medical facilities

HB2681 - Eliminating the food tax, increase the tax on nonintoxicating beer per barrel from $5.50 to $6.35, increase the tax on cigarettes to $1.35, increase the tax on noncigarette tobacco products from seven percent to fourteen percent, and to dedicate the first $5 million of revenue to the Department of Agriculture’s crop transition program.

Bills are listed here for informational purposes only and no endorsement is to be implied. Clear the Air will review bills more in depth as they begin to move. To track these bills yourself visit the West Virginia Legislative website Bill Status page.

Tags: 2009 Session, bills introduced, tobacco, West Virginia Legislature

The following tobacco-related bills were introduced today, Friday, February 13th, in the West Virginia Legislature:

HB 2360 Insuring that tobacco products are not sold in any packaging other than the original.

Bills are listed here for informational purposes only and no endorsement is to be implied. Clear the Air will review bills more in depth as they begin to move. To track these bills yourself visit the West Virginia Legislative website Bill Status page.

Tags: 2009 Session, bills introduced, tobacco, West Virginia Legislature

The following tobacco-related bills were introduced today, Wednesday, February 11th, in the West Virginia Legislature:

SB 32 Granting municipal courts jurisdiction over juveniles violating tobacco use laws.

SB 62 Increasing penalties for underage use or possession of tobacco.

SB 88 Creating Transition Program for Tobacco Farmers.

SB 115 Prohibiting smoking in motor vehicle when child under 14 is present.

Bills are listed here for informational purposes only and no endorsement is to be implied. Clear the Air will review bills more in depth as they begin to move. To track these bills yourself visit the West Virginia Legislative website Bill Status page.

Tags: 2009 Session, bills introduced, tobacco, West Virginia Legislature

A legislative committee which has focused on health care redesign over the past year passed out seven recommended pieces of legislation today, one of which calls for an increase in the tobacco excise tax.

Select Committee D of the West Virginia Legislature acted on proposing legislation calling for an increase from 55 cents per pack to $1.20 per pack excise tax on cigarettes and a raise in the tax on all other tobacco products from the current level of 7 percent of the wholesale price to 14 percent.

This legislation will now move to be introduced in the Regular Session of the Legislature which begins Wednesday.

Tags: 2009 Session, Roadmap to Health, tobacco tax, West Virginia Legislature